How Things Change
by mellifluous aria
Summary: It's of no surprise to anyone that Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy aren't exactly best chums. What is surprising is how much things can change between two enemies in the span of a year. DMHG, post-Hogwarts, EWE, one-shot.


**A/N: **This is my entry for the third round of the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition! We were supposed to write about our OTP, and I chose the following prompts: St. Mungo's and "crystal clear". I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

It was late Friday afternoon and Hermione Granger was worriedly pacing the hallways of St. Mungo's, her face drawn and pale due to anxious thoughts concerning the wellbeing of the patient lying on a bed in room 402 on the fourth floor of the hospital. Finally, after the clock chimed the third hour of her sojourn in the hallway, a nurse stepped out of the room and smiled slightly at the frazzled witch.

"Miss Granger?" she inquired.

Hermione spun around at the sound of her name, then rushed over to the woman. "Is he all right?"

The nurse nodded. "His condition is stable now, although he's still unconscious. Would you like to see him?"

"Of course."

"Right this way, dear."

Hermione followed the witch through the door, feeling slightly apprehensive. Upon seeing the blond wizard lying on the hospital bed, no longer in danger of dying, she gave a huge sigh of relief and sagged into the chair next to him.

"Thank Godric you're alive," she murmured as the nurse quietly exited the room.

Hermione gazed at his pale, peaceful face and took a hold of his hand, squeezing it gently. "Please wake up soon," she whispered, a single teardrop falling from her eyes. She then laid her head next to his hand and eventually drifted into a troubled sleep, tired from her vigil.

* * *

_One year ago_

"Harry James Potter, _what_ is the meaning of this?!" Hermione emphatically waved a piece of parchment in her soon-to-be estranged friend's face. "Is he really the best person you could find to work on the case?"

Harry smiled sheepishly, subtly leaning away from his angry – no, furious – best friend and her scary parchment-waving. "Well, you see, 'Mione, there were loads of Aurors that wanted to help you find that guy, it's just that they were… busy?"

Hermione stared at the Man-Who-Was-A-Really-Bad-Liar and crossed her arms. "Oh, really? Too busy to help me capture a psychotic ex-Death Eater?"

He sighed in resignation. "All right, I know you don't like Malfoy –"

"Don't like? Harry, he's a complete and utter git! He's practically the bane of my existence! I eat lunch in my office so I won't run into him in the cafeteria!" After she realized what she said, Hermione blushed, slightly embarrassed about her confession of some decidedly un-Gryffindor-like cowardice.

Finally, after blinking numerous times in slight astonishment, Harry cleared his throat and said, "Uh, ok then, I did _not_ know that, but we can talk about that later. Look, 'Mione, Malfoy's a good Auror. I mean, really good. He knows his stuff, and he's trustworthy in the field. I guarantee he'll be a lot of help with your case, especially since, well, you know, he was a Death Eater at one point, and he might have more information about the guy you're looking for."

"Be that as it may, he's not exactly pleasant to be around, and considering our history, I'm surprised that he even wants to work with me."

"About that," Harry started, a suspiciously guilty expression on his face.

"Oh no." Hermione dropped her head in dismay, then looked back up at her friend. "You didn't ask him?! How could you not ask him? Do you seriously expect _me_ to waltz into his office and say that he's going to work with me? Harry James Potter, you are in _so much trouble_, I swear, if you weren't the wizard who defeated Voldemort, I'd –"

"Oh my, how quaint, a lover's spat in the workplace," drawled a bored, aristocratic voice from the doorway. Hermione gritted her teeth at the sound of the one person she would not hesitate to defenestrate, and then turned around and glared at the smirking Auror. "You do realize, Granger, that dating co-workers is strictly prohibited by the Ministry, even for the illustrious Boy-Who-Lived and his bushy-haired sidekick."

"Go away, Malfoy. You know I'm not dating Harry," she hissed, her chocolate brown eyes narrowed in annoyance.

He raised an eyebrow, mildly amused by her unfriendly tone, and stepped into the office. "Well, as much as I enjoy being in your presence, Granger, I actually came here to discuss something with Potter. So, if you two are done with your arguing, I'd be much obliged if you would leave."

Hermione snorted, crossing her arms defiantly. "Actually, Malfoy, before I go, I believe that Harry has something to say that would concern both you and me." She then looked pointedly at the green-eyed wizard and gestured towards Malfoy. "Harry?"

"Uh, right," Harry sputtered, running a hand through his dishevelled hair. "Well, Malfoy, I'm sure you've heard of Hermione's case involving that ex-Death Eater, and I've decided to add you to her team."

"Pardon?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at the blond-haired wizard's shocked expression, then added, "Trust me, Malfoy, I didn't have a choice in this matter, so you'd better learn to be less of an arse or I'll make sure that you're stuck doing paperwork for the rest of the year. Are we clear on that?"

"Crystal clear," he bit out, a scowl marring his face.

"Good," she spat, and then turned and sauntered out of the room, giving no indication of her own qualms about the arrangement.

* * *

Hermione had been asleep for nearly an hour when she felt pressure on her hand and a familiar voice repeating her name. She groggily opened her eyes, then yelped at the sight of two pale grey eyes staring at her.

"You're awake!" she cried, thankful and relieved and oh so happy. "Merlin, Draco, I was so worried when he shot that curse at you, but everything's okay because you're fine now, and Harry managed to _Stupefy_ Macnair so the plan worked, and oh Godric, I'm so glad you're alive."

"I'm touched by your concern, love," he replied, smiling teasingly at the brunette witch. "I have to admit, I was a bit worried myself when he got me, but it seems as if you and Scarhead had everything under control."

She tsked at his use of the mildly insulting name for Harry. "Really, Draco, why can't you just call him Harry, like everyone else does?"

"There's no fun in that," he snorted, then winced as the small movement brought a jolt of pain to his side.

"Are you ok?" Hermione asked worriedly, rising out of her chair.

"I'm fine," he wheezed, waving a nonchalant hand at her.

She sighed, then sat back down. "Promise me that if something really hurts, though, you'll tell me."

He rolled his eyes, but acquiesced. "All right, I promise."

Hermione smiled softly. "Isn't it strange that six months ago, I wouldn't have been upset to see you in the hospital?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm a little offended by that, honestly. Who knew that Gryffindors could be so vindictive?"

"Oh, hush. You felt the same way about me, I'm sure."

"Perhaps, but then again, I'm Slytherin. We're expected to be spiteful."

"You're not, though."

"Not towards you."

"Not towards anyone."

"You're much too optimistic about me, you know."

She sighed impatiently. "Look, Draco, six months ago, I still hated you for everything you did to me and Harry and Ron at Hogwarts, and I thought that you were an unfeeling, rude, prejudiced idiot. But since then, you've changed. You truly have changed for the better, and while I wouldn't call you nice or friendly, you're a good person. Honestly, most people would've balked at the thought of chasing down an ex-Death Eater, but you didn't. You worked with me to find Macnair, and not only that, you helped me stay calm and focused and sane while we were chasing him three months ago and while I was acting as bait earlier today. And for that, Draco, I… I love you." She very nearly choked on the unexpected last few words, and then looked down at her hands in embarrassment, her cheeks flaming.

"Hermione." His quiet voice broke the silence and he slowly sat up, grunting at the pain that shot through his body as he did so. She looked up and into the beautiful silver eyes that she had unwittingly fallen for and asked, hesitatingly, "Yes?"

He cleared his throat, then continued. "Hermione, I know that I'm not really much of a hero or a prince charming or whatever, and that you deserve someone who's less of an arse than I am, and Shacklebolt will probably kill me when he hears about this, and… well, I suppose what I'm trying to say is that... I love you, too."

And then she smiled, softly and beautifully and captivatingly, and kissed him, cementing the new status of their relationship.


End file.
